The present invention relates to a chair for a cableway system, having a load-bearing framework on which seat surfaces are fastened, having a load-bearing bar which is designed, at its top end, with a clamping apparatus for coupling to a supporting and haulage cable and with running rollers, having side panels or the like arranged at its two lateral ends, having a closure bar and, if appropriate, having a covering hood, both of which can be pivoted about spindles which are aligned at least approximately horizontally in the operating position of the chair, it being possible for the closure bar and/or the covering hood to be pivoted from the open positions into the closed positions counter to the action of at least one biasing spring.
Prior art chairs for cableway systems comprise a load-bearing framework designed with a load-bearing bar, there being provided, at the top end of the load-bearing bar, a clamping apparatus for coupling the chair to a supporting and haulage cable and running rollers, for moving the chair in the stations. Also located on the load-bearing framework are seat surfaces which are assigned to side panels at their two lateral ends. Additionally mounted on the load-bearing framework is a closure bar which can be pivoted from an open position into a closed position and can be pivoted about a spindle which is at least approximately horizontal in the operating position of the chair. Finally, there may also be provided on the load-bearing framework a covering hood, which can likewise be pivoted, about a spindle which is at least approximately horizontal in the operating position of the chair, from an open position into a closed position, in which it encloses the seat surfaces.
It is also known for the closure bar and the covering hood, which may optionally be provided, to be assigned biasing or adjusting springs which assist the pivoting of the bar and covering hood from their open positions into their closed positions and from the closed positions into the open positions, as a result of which the manually operated pivoting of the closure bar and/or of the covering hood is made easier for the user of the chair. In the case of the prior art chairs for cableway systems, the adjusting springs are arranged in an exposed manner on the outside of the chair. This, however, involves the disadvantages that the adjusting springs are exposed to the effects of the weather, that, in addition, measures have to be taken in order for it to be possible to rule out injury to the passengers by the adjusting springs, and that measures additionally have to be taken when the chairs are garaged, in order for it to be possible to rule out damage to the chairs when they are disposed one behind the other.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a lift chair for a cableway system, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which avoids the disadvantages to which the prior art is exposed by the arrangement of the adjusting springs.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a chair for a cableway system, comprising:
a load-bearing framework having lateral ends, and a plurality of seat surfaces fastened to the load-bearing framework, and a load-bearing bar having an upper end;
a clamping apparatus for coupling to a supporting and haulage cable and running rollers mounted to the upper end of the load-bearing bar;
side panels at the lateral ends of the load-bearing framework;
a closure device (e.g., closure bar and/or covering hood) pivotally mounted on the load-bearing framework about a substantially horizontal axis, in an operating position of the chair, between an open position and a closed position;
at least one of the side panels having a cavity formed therein; and
at least one biasing spring disposed in the cavity and being connected between the load-bearing framework and the closure device for counteracting a closure of the closure device from the open position into the closed position.
In other words, the objects of the invention are achieved in that at least one of the side panels or the like is designed with a cavity in which the at least one adjusting spring is arranged, the adjusting spring being articulated, on the one hand, on the load-bearing framework and, on the other hand, on the closure device, i.e., on the closure bar and/or on the covering hood.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the closure device is a closure bar, and a covering hood is further pivotally mounted on the load-bearing framework about the substantially horizontal axis between an open position and a closed position, and wherein the biasing spring is articulated on the load-bearing framework and on the covering hood for counteracting a closure of the covering hood from the open position into the closed position.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the closure device is a covering hood pivotally mounted on the load-bearing framework, and the biasing spring is articulated on the load-bearing framework and on the covering hood for counteracting a closure of the covering hood from the open position into the closed position.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the biasing spring, also referred to as an adjusting spring, is a tension spring.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the covering hood is formed with a carrying frame and one end of the biasing spring is articulated on the carrying frame.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the carrying frame and/or the closure bar is formed with extensions mounting the covering hood and/or closure bar on approximately horizontally aligned journals. In that case, one end of the tension spring is articulated on the extensions.
In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, a tension element, i.e., a tie element, is connected between the biasing spring and the carrying frame, or between the biasing spring and the closure bar.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there is provided a removable cover closing off the cavity towards an outside of the panel.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a chair for a cableway system, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.